Cooperation Pays Off With Great Project

OPINION

Our Position: Disabled Children Will Benefit From A Community-led Effort To Build A Park.

July 4, 2004

Handicapped children who live in Lake County are getting a playground that is designed for them to have a blast, thanks to a partnership between motivated residents, county government and the state.

The facility planned for Lake Idamere Park, off State Road 19, is a dynamic example of what can be accomplished when people in the community identify a need and step forward to fill it. That's what real leadership is all about.

Lake officials announced Monday that they had won a grant from the state for $200,000 to build a playground in partnership with the National Center for Boundless Playgrounds, which designs fun places so kids who are disabled can play with those who do not have physical limitations.

Boundless Playgrounds' designs work for all sorts of disabled children, but they are particularly suited to those in wheelchairs. For example, the pathways are made of a latex material that kids in wheelchairs can negotiate, rather than chunky mulch, which is a chair-stopper. They have raised sandboxes that youngsters can reach without getting out of their chairs, plus what are called "transfer points" -- places a child can get out of a wheelchair and onto a slide, for example. What a great idea for kids who otherwise would be left sitting on the sidelines.

The playgrounds exceed requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which guarantees access to public places. It's nice to see Lake County going beyond minimum requirements for a change.

Of course, the playgrounds are not cheap. This one is projected to cost about $500,000.

But Lake County government must match the grant, and County Commissioner Jennifer Hill, who has been actively fund-raising for the project, has said that the county will do so. Some of the match may be in property, for example, which is an excellent way to contribute. The 45-acre park just south of Tavares near Tavares Middle School, with its big shade trees lining the lakefront, is a perfect choice. The park is centrally located in the 67-mile-long county.

The county also will contribute site work and possibly build restrooms rather than put up cash, but that's OK. All those things are needed to move the project toward a time when children of all abilities have a place to play together in Lake County.

Gov. Jeb Bush took a personal interest in the playground when he traveled to Lake several months ago to speak at the fund-raising kickoff. The governor is working with the center to establish 50 such playgrounds in Florida, and this is one is slated to be the first public one in Central Florida.

The project came alive when Candi Giddens, mother of a toddler born with spina bifida, approached Mrs. Hill with the idea. Since then, the two have been working to raise money without knowing exactly how much would be needed. Now they know: $100,000. They've raised nearly a quarter of it so far. Not enough can be said of Mrs. Giddens' dedication to ensuring that children like her daughter Ashton have equal access.

Lake County should be proud of the partnership that's sprung up to make this happen, and residents who volunteer on the project are to be commended.